Eastward Ho! - the last great U.S. hidden gem?

[SteveC]

Ran - My family have been members at Eastward Ho! for many years, and its relative lack of recognition has always surprised me. It's tough to get on and tough to join (much moreso now than even 10-20 years ago), but it is a true gem. I have always described it as Pebble Beach, Atlantic-style, which may be a bit of a stretch, but the combination of architecture, the elements and the setting make that label more true than not. Even in the wind and rain - classic Cape Cod conditions - the course is wonderful. The golfer's imagination is challenged round after round, and the course becomes more captivating with every round played.  Comparisons with Fishers Island are absolutely fair.

I haven't yet read the course profile - will do so now - but, having played "the Ho" many, many times over 20+ years, I can say that it easily ranks in my Top 10 in terms of courses that I could play every day and never tire of.

[Mark_Fine]

John,
I may have overstated myself a bit by saying "too many".  I like to think most are coming around on the "difficulty" factor.  You have to remember GD used to rate the 100 (at one point 200) toughest golf courses in the U.S.  I think difficulty is a factor in greatness but not the overwelming one by any means!  As more guys go see Eastward Ho, it should rise in status.  
Mark

[Anthony_Pioppi]

Ran,

   Glad you made it to such a great place. I know this may sound a little pompous, but I think Eastward Ho! is the Cruden Bay of America. I have no idea if Fowler ever made it to Cruden Bay, but I think both those courses possess some of the same exquisite architecture style as well as some of the finer quirky holes that I have played.
   One of my favorites holes is the par-4 sixth which have you shown with a photo. What is not revealed is how the tee shot is essentially blind with the hill on the left blocking the player's view. Also, far down in the landing area is a small chute. The three members I played with said to find the ramp would propel the ball along up to 30 extra yards on a good day. (We played on a day with an uncommon wind meaning the sixth and others in that direction - No. 1, No. 2, No. 18 - played dead into the wind. I did catch the slope and although it did not go 30 yards further than others, I did get the effect they talked about with my ball coming to rest ahead of the others.
   The wonderful No. 17 also has the same kind of features. A mounded fairway can fling balls yards ahead of others that land in the same area, only to dribble left into a small valley, or carom right - as mine did - a good 40 yards down the embankment to the rough line.
   The green complexes are wonderful with ground contours that cry out for the bump and run. Missing the putting surfaces, however, almost always results in a bogey.
   One highly placed anonymous source with impeccable credentials told me that while Brad Faxon did play lots of golf at Rhode Island CC, he spent most of his summers at Eastward Ho! and it was there he developed his legendary short game. I'm sure you can see why.
   As far as quirky, No. 10 is right up there, but sure to drive some players crazy. One ill-struck shot in our group bounded off the hill on the right and stopped on the left edge of the green while a shot with a right-to-left path landed on the putting surface, but came to rest in a bunker.
   If there is a reason Eastward Ho! is not on the lists of bests it may be - and I am only guessing - because the course is relatively tame without a wind. At 6,215 the layout is defensless if Pleasant Bay has narry a ripple.
   I really believe the harder and faster Eastward Ho! plays, the more the genius of Folwer will be revealed. Like you, I am a true fan of the place and look forward to returning there some day.

   

   
   

[Ran Morrissett]

Tom P,

Fowler is about to be highlighted again on this site. Upon seeing this course profile, I was contacted by a member of Walton Heath on Friday who has agreed to take photographs from there so that we can get up a course profile on Fowler's inland masterpiece. Talk about a small world - how cool's that?!

Mark,

You're a good man!

Paul,

I haven't seen any evidence to where Fowler considered Eastward Ho! in the same league as Westward Ho! or Walton Heath, remembering that he said "Westward Ho! means the greatest reward for good and the most severe penalty for bad play to be found on any links, and at the time of writing (1912)reigns as the finest course in the United Kingdom." As for me, you may recall that I have Westward Ho! in my personal world top 20 and Walton Heath in the top 60 and at 6,200 yards, Eastward Ho! probably won't end up quite that high.

(On a side note, I will never forget the dismantling that the four Morrissetts had at Walton Heath one windy afternoon. Apart from Pebble Beach where none of us broke 90 our first time around, Walton Heath Old holds the distinction of having the highest winning score by a Morrissett).

However, Eastward Ho! comfortably matches Saunton on a hole for hole basis and you know what high regard the Brits hold Saunton East. Tony P's post about considering it the Cruden Bay of America is telling, and the more I think of it, the closer in quality those designs appear to be - certainly Cruden Bay has the worst holes (9,10,11,12,15) of the 36 and Cruden Bay is ranked world #55 by GOLF Magazine.

I imagine that it is more inspiring than the Berkshires (which I haven't seen), just because of the huge jump start the glacial moraine gave Folwer and how the trees have enclosed the Berkshire courses.

I would be SHOCKED if you weren't spellbound by Eastward Ho!

Ed,

Eastward Ho! reminded Matt and me of Charles River in that the architect let the wild topography create a bunch of unique, memorable golf holes.

Cheers,

[TEPaul]

Look, Ran, I know you really think this "golf's most beloved figure" label of yours is the result of your or some introducer's malapropism somewhere in the outback of Australia, but you're getting there, pal, you're getting there!

The way things are going with Golfclubatlas you could be in some obscure bar in Timbuktu and somebody is likely to say; "Look, there's Golfclubatlas's Ran Morrissett, golf's most belov.....!"

[John Morrissett]

I must admit to being jealous of my brother for having played there -- Eastward Ho! looks and sounds like the real thing.

The write-up made me curious: How do Eastward Ho! and Hyannisport stack up?  (As Ran has played the former and I the latter, we can't really say.)  I would be interested in the specific comments from Ed Baker and others who have played both.  

It looks like Eastward Ho! occupies a bolder piece of property.

Thanks.

[Mark_Fine]

Hyannisport is a wonderful seaside golf course.  The original routing was done by Ross but his hole designs were not used because his fee was deemed "too high".  Though only 6200 yards from the back  
tees, plays more like 6800 or more.  It's very scenic with water views on most every hole.  It must play firm and fast most of the time (not sure if Eastward Ho does) and there is probably always a strong wind off the water.  From an architecture standpoint, it's not as sound as EH but from a fun standpoint it's even better but that's because I love that style of golf.
Mark

[T_MacWood]

Hyannisport is more open and windswept. Eastward Ho! has a number of tree lined holes, as a result, as Mark points out, HC has views from nearly every point -- although both courses would be near the top of any 'view' short list. HC slopes down and up from high ground to wetlands, where as EH! remains elevated on very wild terrain and is on a peninsula, which opens it up to changes of wind direction. EH! is dramatic, exhibiting more variety. Hyannisport is lovely, more feminine. I'd place Hyannisport behind EH! and Oyster Harbors -- all three are underappreciated in my mind.

[Anthony_Pioppi]

New England Golf Association Events for 2002

New England Senior Championship
September 24-25
Eastward Ho! (Chatham, MA)